We had our annual maple open house weekend last weekend, and at one point a group of older women stopped by and visited – told us stories of the sugaring they grew up with. “Lot…

So the crazy weather continues, though of late it’s been too cold instead of too hot. By putting the temperatures from the last two weeks side by side with the temperatures from the…

“We know that getting hit is part of the sport.” -Boxer Frank Buglioni Thirty-two degrees is a magic number in sugaring because without it sap doesn’t flow. A freeze at night…

I just finished a fabulous book by David Brooks called The Road to Character, in which he explores our transition from a culture that valued humility and trusted institutions to an…

When you get a little bigger your mom and I are going to introduce you to the maples in the sugarwoods. You should know them because they can teach you patience. We’ll take you to…

In looking for interesting content for Northern Woodlands’ biweekly e-newsletter, I'm constantly scanning the Google news feed for articles related to forests and forestry. Not…

Political pundits all suggest that a re-examination of our country’s broken health care system will be the first order of business that Congress takes up this session. And it will mean a…

Why is religion such a big part of rural life? An author I was reading the other day decided it was because there are more poor people in rural places, and poverty fosters the idea that…

The world can often seem too complicated for its own good. It’s a big reason why people like you and I live in a rural place, where things are simpler to some degree. Through this lens,…

A deer hunter pushes open the door and enters a warm, slow camp. The woodstove pings pleasantly as it accommodates a fresh charge of wood. Wet clothes hung above it shutter slightly in the…